Interchangeable and interlocking tilt bracket and cord fitting assembly for venetianblinds



Dec. 10, 1940. w. E. SHEHAN 2224,3362

INTERCHANGEABLE AND INTERLOCKING TILT BRACKET AND CORD FITTING ASSEMBLY FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Original Filed Sept. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY 2.224362 CKET AND IAN BLINDS 1940- w. E. SHEHAN INTERCHANGEABLE AND INTERLOCKING TILT BRA CORD FITTING ASSEMBLY FOR VENET Original Filed Sept. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M Q m4 fi m 5 M A M Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William E. Shehan, Los Angeles, Calif.

Qrigi'nal' application September 18, 1936, Serial Divided and this application May 8, 1939, Serial No. 272,421

4 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and particularly pertains to an interchangeable and interlocking tilt bracket and cord fitting assembly for Venetian blinds, and is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 101,453, filed September 18, 1936, now Patent No. 2,157,637 issued. May 9, 1939.

In the construction and operation of blinds of the Venetian type a plurality of slats are mounted upon flexible supporting members and are provided with means whereby the slats may be raised and lowered to change the effective opening of a window and whereby they may be simultaneously titlted to change the degree of open space be- 1 tween the individual slats. In the installation and use of this type of blind structure bracketsare provided for supporting the blind so that by manipulation the slats may be tilted and other fittings are required to carry cords by which the blind may be raised and lowered. In such structures two tilt rail brackets have been provided, one being a simple bracket to receive a trunnion of the tilt rail and the other being a bracket carrying an operating structureby which the tilt rail may be rotated on a longitudinal axis. The lift cord fittings have been separate structures. In view of different conditions arising it is often necessary to interchange the positions of the two tilt rail brackets and to interchange the positions 30 of the lift cord fittings. This has made it necessary to provide right and left-hand brackets and fittings, so that a large stock of interchangeable parts must be carried by the dealer. It is the principal object of the present invention, there- 35 fore, to provide right and left-hand tilt brackets which may be associated with a lift cord fitting and which will interengage with either of the tilt rail brackets and when the lift cord fitting is positioned at either end of the header bar, there- 40'by making it only necessary to carry in stock a right and a left-hand tilt bracket and one interchangeable lift cord fitting for each blind to be installed. The present invention contemplates the provision of a Venetian blind having a tilt 45 rail, a pair of supporting brackets carrying tilting mechanism and a lift cord fitting, the said tilt rail brackets and the lift cord fitting being so designed as to be interchangeable with the lift cord fitting, being carried in a manner to interlock with a tilt bracket and to be held in assembled relation thereto when the tilt bracket is installed on the header.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in. the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l'is a view in. elevation showing application of the present invention to a Venetian blind.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section and elevation with parts broken away showing the blind mounting and the relationship of the tilt brackets thereto.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation showing the position of. a lifting cord bracket to a tilt rail bracket as seen on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section as seen on the line 5-5 of. Fig. 3 showing the lifting cord bracket structure.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the relationship of the lifting cord bracket to the tilt rail structure.

Fig. '7 is a modified form of the structure dis:- closed in Fig. 6.

Referring. more particularly to the drawings, It indicates a window frame. Mounted across the upper end thereof is a header bar II which is shown in. Figures. 2 and 6 as being formed with a longitudinal channel l2. This bar is secured horizontally in the top of the window frame by screws. 13. Mounted. at the opposite end of the header bar is a tilt bracket l4 and an operating tilt bracket [5. These brackets are each formed with a pair. of frame elements It and I1 which provide a composite frame for the bracket. The frame elements are formed at their upper ends with feet I8 engaged by screws l9 by which they are secured to the header bar. The frame elements It. and II are secured in their assembled relationship by suitable fastening means such, for example, as rivets. The frame elements carry at their lower ends the tilt operating mechanism which comprises a shaft I9" upon which is mounted a rotatable wheel 20 which is rotated by a cord or chain 2|. The cord or chain 2| as shown in Figure 1 is endless so that it may be continuously drawn from one side to the other and will rotate shaft I9 which is connected to a gear segment and which in turn operates the tilt bar to change the angular position of the individual slats as a unit. When the tilt rail is of an excessive length it is desirable to support it at a point intermediate its end by a bracket 22 which carries a roller trunnion 23 mounted upon the tilt bar at a point intermediate its ends. It will thus be evident that as the tilt bar rotates with the manipulation of cord 2| the flange 23 will move along and over the trunnion roller 23 and support the same since the arc of the flange is concentric with the rotating axis of the gear segment of the tilt operating mechanism. The tilt bar 24 carries a plurality of strips of webbing 25 which are spaced parallel to each other and receive small transverse webbing strips upon which Venetian blind slats are disposed in the usual manner. The tilt bars are formed with openings 25 through them to accommodate operating cords 2! which are led down through the openings 26 in the tilt bar and through a series of vertically aligned openings in the successive slats 28 and are secured at their lower end to a bottom bar 29. The upper ends of the cords 21 are led over guide pulleys 30 in the header after which the cords are led along the channel l2 within the header H to and through a fitting 3|. prising an outer frame having side walls 32 and 33. These plates are spaced apart and may accommodate a double grooved pulley 34 at their upper ends. The pulley is mounted upon an axle 35. The upper portion of the frame elements carrying the pulley project through an opening 36 formed in the header. The lower frame portion carries a locking detent 31 which as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings has a plurality of teeth 38 which would be engaged by the cords 21 in their upward movement and will lock the cords temporarily so that the entire Venetian blind will be held in a desired adjusted position. The frame structure 3| is detachably and reversibly mounted upon one of the brackets l4 or l5 as desired. This assembly is effected by a vertical pin 39 carried by the upper overhanging portion 40 of end plate 4| and a horizontal pin 42 carried at a point near the lower end of the frame structure. The pin 39 extends into an opening 43 of the bracket flange and the pin 42 extends into the opening of a boss 44 projecting from the face of the bracket as shown in Figure 5. If desired the bosses 44 may be threaded to receive screws 42. The fitting 3| is formed in such a manner as to enable the fitting to be mounted at either end of the tilt bar or on either side of the bracket by providing duplicate members 44.dispsed on opposite sides of the tilt brackets.

The fitting 3| is disposed at an angle to the vertical pin thus making it possible for the cords 21 to be conveniently presented for operation and to be easily manipulated so as to release .the cord from the gripping action of the member 31'and its gripping jaws 38.

I so that there is not a possibility for these cords to become entangled.

Referring more particularly to the modified form of the invention as disclosed in Figure '7 the member 3| has a horizontally extending plate 41 projecting horizontally from the base thereof which fits into a groove 48 formed in the header bar so that the base of. the tilt rail bracket may fit over the same and the member 3| and the tilt rail bracket may be held in position by the same fastening means. A bracket 49 or other cooperating means may be carried by the plate and engage the tilt rail brackets M or and thus the tilt rail bracket structure will act to hold the cord lift bracket 3| in position. In

;Figure 7 an extension 50 is shown carried by the tilt bracket to receive a fastening screw 5| from the member 49.

In operation of the present invention the header bar II is mounted at the top of the window frame and upon it are secured the tilt This fitting is a detachable structure com- 52 fastened on a window frame.

brackets l4 and I5. These may be selectively arranged since in some instances it may be more convenient and accessible to have the operating bracket l5 at the opposite end of the header bar than that shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In any event the brackets are secured in a downwardly depending position and the proper end of the header has been selected for the application of the cord assembly 3|. When this selection has been made and the opening 36 cut through the bottom of the header the cord assembly is assembled with a bracket, as for example, with bracket M as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. By inserting the pin 39 through the opening 43 in the bracket frame and by setting the pin 42 in the opening in the boss 44, the tilt rail bracket and the cord brackets 3| will be interlocked and when the tilt rail bracket is secured in position by screws |9 the entire structure will be held assembled. Such an action will be obtained in both of the structures shown in Figures 5 and '7. Stop fins 53 and 54 project from the side plates 32 and 33 and may engage the header bar II as shown in Figure 3 to further brace the lift cord bracket 3|. The cords 21 are then suitably connected to the lower blind rail 29 and threaded upwardly through the openings in the various slats 28 and the opening 26 in the header bar after which these cords led across through channel l2 and downwardly through the fitting 3| to a suitable wrapping knob The cord 2| is led over the member 20 and engages the same so that movement of the cord will cause rotation of the shaft l9. This in turn will operate the mechanism to tilt the header rail to change the angular deflection of the individual slats 28. When the cable 2| is drawn in either direction the shaft l9 will be rotated, thereby reversing the deflection of the slats 28. When it is desired to simultaneously raise and lower all of the slats, irrespective of their set angular position, the cords 21 may be swung free of the locking detent 31 which engages the cord 2| when the weight of the blind is upon said cords to hold the cords in a predetermined set position so that they may be raised or lowered, and after which they may be swung toward the locking detent and engage the teeth 38 of said detent whereby the detent will be in binding engagement with the cord.

By reference to Figure 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the plates 32 and 33 of the fitting 3| have flange elements 53 and 54 respectively, one of which abuts against the under face of the header rail and cooperates with the pins 39 and 42 in holding the fitting in position without the need of another fastening means. Attention is directed particularly to the adaptability of the tilt brackets due to the possibility of interchanging all other parts of the brackets l4 and I5 as well as the cord guide fitting 3|. The brackets may be selectively placed alternately at opposite ends of the rail to suit conditions and the cord guide fitting 3| may be interchangeably attached to the bracket |4 upon either side as required, such as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. This eliminates the necessity for right and left hand casings or fittings. It will also be understood that the cord fitting 3| may be mounted either upon the right or left hand side of the tilt rail brackets of the older type Venetian blinds and eliminates pins 39 and 42 by mounting the same by the fastening means of the bracket. It is also to be understood that while a cord and smooth pulley are shown and described these pulleys may be grooved or a chain may be used in place of the operating cords if so desired.

It will thus be seen that the structure here disclosed provides simple means whereby the tilt brackets and the cord fittings may be interchangeably assembled and when placed in position upon the header bar will interlock and remain assembled whereby right and left hand fi tings are not necessary.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a header bar, said header bar having a longitudinal channel formed in the upper face thereof, an opening formed through the lower face of the header bar and in communication with said longitudinal channel, a cord fitting the upper end of which projects upwardly through said opening, a frame element positioned on the lower face of said header bar, said frame element having a pair of spaced apart bosses, a horizontal pin formed on the face of said cord fitting and adapted for positioning within either of said bosses.

2. In a device of the character described, a header bar, an opening within the lower face of said header bar, a bracket mounted upon the lower face of said header bar, a lip formed on the upper surface of said bracket overhanging said opening, an opening formed through said lip, a pair of spaced apart bosses formed on said frame element, a cord fitting projecting through said opening with the header bar, a vertical pin formed on said cord fitting adapted for positioning within the opening of the lip of the frame element when the fitting is positioned within the opening of the header bar, a horizontal pin formed on the cord fitting in horizontal alignment with the spaced apart bosses of the frame element, said horizontal pin adapted for positioning within either of said frame element bosses whereby said cord fitting will be detachably secured to the frame element.

3. In a device of the character described, a header bar, an opening within the lower face of said header bar, a bracket mounted upon the lower face of said header bar, a lip formed on the upper surface of said bracket overhanging said opening, an opening formed through said lip, a pair of spaced apart bosses formed on said frame element, a cord fitting projecting through said opening with the header bar, a vertical pin formed on said cord fitting adapted for positioning within the opening of the lip of the frame element when the fitting is positioned within the opening of the header bar, a horizontal pin formed on the cord fitting in horizontal alignment with the spaced apart bosses of the frame element, said horizontal pin adapted for positioning within either of said frame element bosses whereby said cord fitting will be detachably secured to the frame element, and fin means formed on the cord fitting limiting upward movement of the cord fitting when said fitting is positioned within the header.

4. Ina device of the character described, a header bar, an opening within the lower face of said header bar, a bracket mounted upon the lower face of said header bar, a lip formed on the upper surface of said bracket overhanging said opening, an opening formed through said lip, a pair of spaced apart bosses formed on said frame element, a cord fitting projecting through said opening with the header bar, a vertical pin formed on said cord fitting adapted for positioning within the opening of the lip of the frame element when the fitting is positioned within the opening of the header bar, a horizontal pin formed on the cord fitting in horizontal alignment with the spaced apart bosses of the frame element, said horizontal pin adapted for positioning within either of said frame element bosses whereby said cord fitting will be detachably secured to the frame element, fin means formed on the cord fitting limiting upward movement of the cord fitting when said fitting is positioned within the header, and pulley means within said cord fitting adapted to carry a cord and a locking detent carried within said fitting and associated with said cord whereby said cord will be held in its said position.

WILLIAM E. SHEI-IAN. 

